Dear, Ex-Husband

Before I Leave

Alana's POV

I still had one more month to pack my things and figure out what my life would look like after the divorce.

I stared at the wedding ring still wrapped around my finger. Remembering the beginning of our marriage. Remembering Dave, his arrogance, his intensity. And that one heated night we shared, the one that left me breathless. My heart was a tangle of feelings I couldn't unwind. I loved him, yet I had to let him go.

I gave myself fully to Dave. My body, my soul. I wanted to be entirely his, one last time before I walked away. A small part of me hoped that night would leave a trace of him growing inside me.

After Dave told me the divorce would be finalized next month, he didn’t hesitate to bring Kelly into our home. I tried to warm up our friendship again, though I wasn’t sure it still deserved to be called that, even if every effort left a sting behind. She was taking my place in this house. She would be the one to care for Dave now.

I went about my days as usual. Still working, just until I resigned next month. Today, I got home early.

Each step into this house felt heavier. This place would no longer be mine soon. And yet it held so many memories. So many tears. Letting go of Dave… was the heaviest of them all.

As I approached my room always separate from Dave’s, I heard something from his room. The deeper I listened, the deeper the knife twisted.

“Oh, Dave… that feels so good…” A woman’s moan pierced through the silence. I didn’t need to guess what was happening. It brought me back to that night, the one time Dave and I surrendered to passion.

“You’re incredible, Kelly. We’ve done this so many times, but I never get tired of you. Every inch of you is my addiction.”

His voice shattered whatever wall I had left inside me. Yes, we were getting divorced, but that didn’t stop the pain from crawling under my skin and tearing me apart.

The creaking bed grew louder. Their moans were knives. Their pleasure, my devastation.

“Daaave… Daaaveee…”

Kelly’s drawn-out cry made my heart cave in. She hadn’t just won Dave’s heart. She had his body too. She had all of him, long before I ever did.

I quietly entered my room, changed clothes, and started preparing dinner.

*****

I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Kelly appeared—short shorts and a loose blouse that hung off her shoulder, flaunting Dave’s lingering touches all over her skin. Dave kissed her again and again, arms wrapped around her like a boy in love.

They froze when they saw me cooking in the kitchen. I turned my gaze back to the vegetables I was slicing.

“You’re home?” Dave asked, clearly surprised, trying to sound casual.

“Yes. I came back early today.” I kept my tone steady. I didn’t want my jealousy to show.

“I didn’t know you were already here,” Kelly added. “You don’t have to cook. Dave can order food.”

“It’s fine, Kelly. I enjoy cooking. And it’s more economical than ordering out,” I replied with a small smile, as if everything was okay. Sometimes the worst kind of pain is pretending you’re fine when you’re falling apart inside.

“Can I help you with anything?” she offered.

Kelly had never been cruel to me. She only dared show up after Dave told her about our divorce. Before that, she’d never stepped foot in this house when I was around.

“It’s alright, Kelly. You can just relax or take a shower. I’m making your favorite.”

“You remember my favorite?” she asked, raising a brow.

“Of course. You love beef steak. I’m cooking it for you tonight.” I smiled again, hiding the tremble in my chest.

“Thank you, Alana.” Her smile was soft, almost grateful.

I glanced briefly at Dave. He stood frozen, his gaze locked on me as if he wanted to say something. Something he could never quite say.

******

Dinner with Dave was always quiet. Silence had become our only rhythm. But tonight, the silence was filled with Kelly’s cheerful voice.

“This is so good, Alana. You’re such a great cook.” Kelly took another bite, delighted.

“I’m not sure I’m great at it. I just love cooking.” I smiled again, trying to sound casual even though her praise felt like a quiet burn.

“You should open a restaurant.”

I laughed lightly.

“If you do, I’ll be your first customer,” she said with a sincere smile.

The truth was, Kelly had never treated me badly. She was always kind. She and Dave had been together long before I came into the picture. I was the one who took Dave from her. And now… I was giving him back. I had no regrets. It was time to start a new chapter.

Dave remained quiet, watching us. I avoided his eyes. I didn’t want him to see how much it still hurt.

*****

After dinner, Dave took Kelly home. I stayed behind, lost in the kitchen. Dirty plates were stacked in front of me, waiting to be washed. But my thoughts floated elsewhere. Back to the sounds, the voices, the moans that shattered me from the inside out.

It hurt. So deeply. But I knew where I stood. Between them. On borrowed time. And soon, I would have to step aside for good.

Dave came home as I was rinsing the last few dishes. I felt him standing behind me, silent.

“Alana…” he finally said, his voice low.

I turned off the tap, dried my hands, and faced him.

“Yes?” I replied flatly.

“I’m sorry… for what happened today.”

I frowned. Sorry for today? What about the last three years? The loneliness? The hollow silence? The crushed self-worth? The way I had to shrink myself to survive this marriage? The countless moments I felt invisible, unwanted, unloved?

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said, emotionless. I had grown used to bleeding quietly while he looked the other way. And now, just because the end was near, he decided to soften?

Silence swallowed us again.

“I’ll go to my room now, Dave. I need some rest.” I walked past him without looking back.

This wound… I’ll carry it with me. Along with every memory you gave me in these three years.

Take care of yourself, Dave.